M6 South viaduct deck after the first launch.

Britain’s new high-speed railway

M6 South viaduct deck after the first launch.

Building the railway

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Building a high-speed railway

HS2 is Britain’s largest construction project. We’re building 140 miles of high-speed railway and four new stations between London and the West Midlands.

Right now, around 30,000 construction workers and over 3,500 UK businesses are creating the foundations for our future rail network.

Download the HS2 Route and Infrastructure Maps

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What we're building

We have 350 active construction sites, and work is at its peak.

Our construction programme covers 52 high-speed trains serving three new stations, two depots and 140 miles of new railway.

We’re also boring more than 32 miles of twin-bore tunnels, helping protect landscapes and reduce disruption above ground.

Across the route, we’re building 169 bridges and 52 viaducts to carry the railway over existing roads, rivers and railways, and shaping the landscape through 110 embankments and 71 cuttings. State-of-the-art power and signalling systems will support safe, reliable high-speed services throughout.

Trains and depots Railway systems Stations Tunnels Viaducts and bridges Earthworks
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Archaeology

We’ve been investigating over 60 archaeological sites along the HS2 route since 2018m revealing stories about our ancestors from prehistoric times to the Industrial Revolution.

More than 1,000 archaeologists, specialists, scientists and conservators have explored and recorded evidence of our changing landscape, providing a fascinating insight into the lives of the people who made modern Britain.

Discover more about our archaeology programme

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Environmental sustainability

We’re cutting carbon emissions to reach net zero and investing in nature recovery along the route of HS2.

The climate emergency is one of the biggest challenges we face. How we build new transport networks is critical to tackling it.

Learn about our environmental sustainability

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Learning Legacy

We’re sharing what we’ve learnt from building HS2 to help the wider industry improve how it delivers major projects.

Discover HS2’s Learning Legacy programme

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How we're building HS2

Watch more videos on our YouTube channel.
Watch on YouTube - Building a railway | How HS2 will take shape
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HS2 works near you

Sign up for updates about construction in your area. We’ll tell you what we’re building, when we’re working and what we’re doing to reduce disruption.

Subscribe to local works updates
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Last updated:

1st Jul 2026